CET Jordan

After completing all levels of Arabic at my university, I participated in the CET Virtual Summer program for the intensive study of Arabic to sharpen my skills in hopes of developing a more advanced understanding of the language. This program was much more challenging than any Arabic class I took prior. One of the key assignments that we worked on throughout the entire program was a research paper on a topic of our choice. Although it seemed a difficult task in the beginning, with the very fast-paced nature of the classes and the big focus on learning new and more advanced vocabulary, writing the research paper became quite simple and even enjoyable.

Apart from that, the entire staff was very eager to help, whether it was to answer questions or do some oral language practice. Although the program was virtual, the staff and teachers succeeded in creating a very welcoming, authentically Jordanian environment (in terms of culture).

Although the academic aspect was very fast-paced, it was also very well-designed and I felt as if I really understood everything we were taught and that I was learning at a comfortable pace. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to advance their Arabic language skills, whether it's modern standard Arabic or colloquial.

Cannot recommend highly enough.

CET provides a really complete experience. The academics are really challenging, of course, but we were able to explore a wide variety of topics in class that were really relevant to the culture, both in Jordan and in the wider Middle East. Combining that with the conversations I had with my Jordanian language partner meant that I could learn about almost any aspect of the environment and the people. Plus, we were able to visit places like Wadi Rum, Petra, Jerash, or do cultural events like cooking Jordanian dishes and visiting a Turkish bath. Overall, a fantastic experience that really complemented our language education. Plus, the teachers really, really care about their students and how they are doing, both academically and mentally/emotionally.

CET Jordan is hands down the best program for students who care about Arabic language acquisition. I felt challenged to step as far outside of my comfort zone as I could, but I was never overwhelmed because I had the support of the program staff at each step. The teachers were all extremely friendly and prioritized getting to know the students as people, rather than solely as language learners. That resulted in a positive learning environment, and class became a time to spend time with friends rather than a stressful or boring space. CET is also really concerned with connecting students to Jordanian youth culture, and its location at the University of Jordan, as well as the language partner/roommate programs, gave me a great in to make local friends. I loved my experience during this semester so much that I decided to stay and participate in CET Jordan's Internship Program. My review of that can be found here: https://www.gooverseas.com/study-abroad/jordan/program/38096

For students who are hoping to improve their Arabic, learn about life in Jordan, and have fun doing it, CET is the best study abroad option.

P.S. If any women are concerned about what is okay to wear in Jordan, I wore T-shirts, skinny jeans, and leggings all the time. Maxi skirts and dresses are fine, too, but no need to buy a pair of elephant pants if that's not your style!

I chose to participate in this program after spending a semester with CET Jordan: Intensive Language. The language program is very academically oriented, which really helped my language skills to improve, but I wanted to see a different side of life in Jordan and felt that the internship program would give me that chance. I interned with the National Association for Family Empowerment, which was a Jordanian non-profit organization focused on economic and social empowerment for women and youth in Jordan. The internship ended up being somewhat frustrating because there was hardly any work for me to do. Despite talking with the organization's director about projects or tasks I could carry out, I never got assigned enough work. CET staff spoke with the organization multiple times, and when they realized that wasn't doing anything, they worked with me to create an alternative schedule and study plan to make sure I was still maximizing on my time in Jordan. I was very grateful to have their support when my internship placement did not live up to my expectations.

For students who are really dedicated to learning Arabic, I would suggest doing the language program. Students in the internship program have Arabic language classes, but half of the coursework is in English, and most internship placements hope to use the interns' English knowledge. However, this program still allowed me to grow a lot linguistically because I got the chance to interact with Jordanians who were not my age and pick up on more slang and idioms. I also loved seeing what a workplace was like in another country and learning about the obstacles that non-profit organizations face if they are not American, Canadian, or European and need to acquire funding. Finally, my internship enabled me to explore more of the city and the country as I had a reason to go to neighborhoods and other cities that I would not have seen otherwise.

It's difficult to express how amazing this summer is by writing it all out. I'm usually better talking in person but here we go!

Jordan - specifically Amman - is a beautiful place. Thousands of years of culture and history found in one city is something beautiful. I wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else to spend two months learning Arabic. From the city of Petra to the Mars-like desert of Wadi Rum to the ruins of old castles from the Umayyad era...what's not to love (and I haven't even mentioned the food)?

The best complement to exploring Jordan, broadening my cultural experience, and also learning a language starkly different from my own was the CET program. Hours of classroom instruction paired with real-life, on-the-street homework assignments meant that I was learning relevant material that actually helped and prepared me to live in Amman for two months, not just learning a weird jumble of vocabulary from Al-Kitaab that you can't really use on the streets. By the end of my time here I could successfully negotiate prices with butchers and vegetable sellers, to navigating "almost" flawlessly in another country, like Palestine. This was only because of CET, and how much effort they actually put in to not only the program itself, but also to you. They honestly care so much about your education that they were willing to work with you in any way necessary. If I was with any other program in Jordan, I am certain I wouldn't have learned as much.

Additionally, I've made lifelong friends here. Truly. Jordanians and Americans.

Thank you to everyone at CET in Amman, and if you're trying to learn Arabic, this is the place/program to do it!

Great program- perhaps overpriced, but the support is nice to have and some aspects of the program (language partner, roommate in apartment) are ingenious and well executed. The internship class was hardly a class and had some major flaws- I don't think our teacher even read the class syllabus as we did almost nothing on there- but I understand the primary teacher was missing and our filling teacher did give us some intriguing insight on life and culture in Jordan as he was at the top of a powerful tribe. Still though, it did not qualify as a college level course by any means.
The class should be slightly more intensive- I really didn't understand the need for three cooking days (learned a lot the first day, not a lot the second two) and the short trip was hardly a class. I thought the orientation was a little excessive and we could have started class and roommate/language partner relations sooner as the program is already so short. My internship was absolutely incredible. I wasn't sure how the internship placement was determined as some of my friends were doing exactly what they had emphasized they didn't want to do, but it worked out great for me. My Jordanian roommate and language partner were also wonderful.

The CET program here in Jordan is very eyeopening. You have the opportunity to meet so many new people all while being nestled in a lively little street in the capital. But this program is very different from what you may see some of your friends that study abroad in other parts of the world because the coursework is heavy and often found myself in my apartment or in cafes working on papers and homework. But the support given by the staff and teachers is truly helpful. It is a challenging program but it is planned to give the students breaks to explore and learn the culture along with the language. I came to the program knowing none of the dialect and it was extremely challenging at first but being surrounded by the language and being able to speak to other students at your same level is really great and very different from what I experienced at my university. To any future CET students, I would say to keep a very open mind because the country is so beautiful but very different. If you want to improve your Arabic from speaking to writing and just overall getting out of your comfort zone, this program is a good path.